Info List 10 cave sites in Florida.

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Would like a list or recommendation for 10 'must dive' cave sites in Florida. Include depth, restrictions, maps, silt, proximity to each cave site, flow/current/down/upstream/siphon, entry/exit, water temperature, and any other vital info from qualified cave divers. Would be coming in from Jacksonville International Airport. Renting a car for the duration.

 

[tursiops]

Are you cave certified?

 

[Marie13]

Are you cave certified?

Profile says he’s a vacation diver and certified less than a year. Would a certified cave diver refer to “current” instead of “flow”?

 

[tursiops]

Profile says he’s a vacation diver and certified less than a year. Would a certified cave diver refer to “current” instead of “flow”?

I'm waiting to see what he says. Seems like a simple yes or no question.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

I found this list by @CaveSloth:

I have been working on a list of spring diving sites with the following criteria:

Open to the public. Not requiring a difficult to obtain permit.
No salt water.
No sulfur.
Difficult to silt out / good to great average visibility.
Not requiring to spend lots of time deeper than 100ft.
Not requiring sidemount, nomount or passing through restrictions.
Allow / doable in backmount doubles.
Doable using air or nitrox.
Best of the best locations for those with up to Cave 1 level of certification.

Here is my current list:

Alexander Spring (Altoona)
Blue Grotto (Williston)
Blue Spring (Orange City)
Bozel Spring (Marianna)
Buford Spring (Weekie Wachee)
Cypress Spring (Vernon)
Fanning Spring (Fanning Springs)
Ginnie (Ballroom) (High Springs)
Ginnie (Devil's Ear) (High Springs)
Ginnie (Devil's Eye) (High Springs)
Hole in the Wall (Marianna)
Ichetucknee (Blue Spring / Jug Hole) (Fort White)
Jackson Blue (Marianna)
Little River (Branford)
Madison (Main) (Lee)
Manatee (Catfish Hotel) (Chiefland)
Manatee (Main) (Chiefland)
Morrison (Defuniak Springs)
Paradise Spring (Ocala)
Peacock (Main) (Mayo)
Peacock (Orange Grove) (Mayo)
Rainbow River (KP Hole) (Dunneleon)
Telford (Mayo)
Troy Spring (Branford)
Twin Cave (Marianna)
Vortex Spring (Defuniak Springs)
Warm Springs (Weekie Wachee)

I would really like feedback on this list. Any important details from your experience would be great to know. If I have anything listed here that is no good for a beginning cave diver or if I am missing something great, please let me know.

 

[ginti]

Would a certified cave diver refer to “current” instead of “flow”?

I believe I could do this mistake, although I am aware of the difference. But I am not an English native speaker.... A person born in Alaska is another story

Hi @Alaskan Scuba Dude, unfortunately, cave divers tend NOT to share potentially dangerous information with divers who want to go cave diving despite having no formal training. And there is a very good reason: in the past, many people dead inside underwater caves because of lack of training, and unfortunately many die even nowadays.

Now, I have never been to Florida and I can't help you in any way. But I can tell you that if I could help, I would do it only if sure 100% that you are certified or that you don't intend to enter into any cave.

I expect most cave divers to behave like that, and indeed nobody answered you yet.

Why don't you help us understanding your reason for this list?

 

[ofg-1]

Do yourself a favor. Call Cave Country, Amigo's, Dive with Rob, Extreme Exposure, Cave Adventurers, or any of the other fine shops, or instructors, in cave country, spend a little money, hire a guide. If you are not cave certified, take a class. Think of it as cheap life insurance.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Caves are dark and scary places, you should stay out of them.

 

[tbone1004]

You shouldn't do Jug in doubles. Some people do it, but it's very bad for the cave. The cavern is fine in doubles but don't try to penetrate the cave without sidemount.
Ballroom is not a cave nor would I consider it worth diving for a cave diver
Vortex is not worth diving IMO
Bozel is weird, get a guide for that.
If we are being pedantic the entrance restriction at Hole in the Wall certainly counts as a proper restriction and precludes Cave 1 divers
With the river as high as it is, technically most of Little River has been deeper than 100ft for a while.

Slew of others missed, and a few others on that list I would say should be DQ'd, especially based on Cave 1 restrictions.

Caveatlas will give you all of the information you seek, so will finding qualified buddies/mentors/guides in the areas you plan to go.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

This is what I used to look over ideas... once I have the skills and certs.

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